Borderlands 2 - PlayStation 3http://www.gameinformer.com/games/borderlands_2/b/ps3/default.aspxen-USTelligent Community 1.5.134.12297 (Build: 5.5.134.12297)Borderlands 2 Ultimate Vault Hunter Upgrade Pack 2 Available Nowhttp://www.gameinformer.com/games/borderlands_2/b/ps3/archive/2013/09/03/borderlands-2-ultimate-vault-hunter-upgrade-pack-2-available-now.aspxTue, 03 Sep 2013 14:14:21 GMT79ef0c18-1c65-4225-984f-fdaeab0f0862:4207810Kyle Hilliard0http://www.gameinformer.com/games/borderlands_2/b/ps3/rsscomments.aspx?WeblogPostID=4207810http://www.gameinformer.com/games/borderlands_2/b/ps3/archive/2013/09/03/borderlands-2-ultimate-vault-hunter-upgrade-pack-2-available-now.aspx#comments<p><img src="http://media1.gameinformer.com/filestorage/CommunityServer.Components.SiteFiles/imagefeed/featured/2kgames/borderlands2/dlc/paxaus/bordlerands2levelcap_610.jpg" style="max-width:610px;" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p>The Ultimate Vault Hunter Upgrade Pack 2 DLC for Borderlands 2, which raises the level cap, among other bonuses, is available today.</p>
<p>The pack is $4.99 on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC. With this DLC (which is not included in the season pass), the level cap moves up to 72, there are new harder difficulty modes, more loot, more character customizations, and a new map: the Raid on Digistruct Peak.</p>
<p>2K and Gearbox have put together a handy chart detailing everything that is included in Ultimate Vault Hunter Upgrade Pack 2, which you can check out below. For more on Borderlands 2, <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com:443/games/borderlands_2/b/xbox360/archive/2012/09/17/review.aspx">here&#39;s our review</a>, and <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com:443/games/borderlands_2/b/xbox360/archive/2013/08/29/gearbox-releases-borderlands-2-tiny-tina-39-s-assault-on-dragon-39-s-keep-short-film.aspx">here&#39;s a short film</a> from the Borderlands universe.</p>
<p><a href="http://media1.gameinformer.com/filestorage/CommunityServer.Components.SiteFiles/imagefeed/featured/2kgames/borderlands2/dlc/paxaus/B2%20Upgrade%20Pack%20Comparison%20Chart.jpg"><img src="http://media1.gameinformer.com/filestorage/CommunityServer.Components.SiteFiles/imagefeed/featured/2kgames/borderlands2/dlc/paxaus/bordlerands2levelcap_610a.jpg" style="max-width:610px;" border="0" alt="" /></a></p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=4207810" width="1" height="1">ShooterPlayStation 3PreviewBorderlands 2gearbox2KUltimate Vault Hunter Upgrade Pack 2Raid on Digistruct PeakpsaGearbox Releases Borderlands 2 Tiny Tina's Assault On Dragon's Keep Short Filmhttp://www.gameinformer.com/games/borderlands_2/b/ps3/archive/2013/08/29/gearbox-releases-borderlands-2-tiny-tina-39-s-assault-on-dragon-39-s-keep-short-film.aspxThu, 29 Aug 2013 12:00:00 GMT79ef0c18-1c65-4225-984f-fdaeab0f0862:4101957Kyle Hilliard0http://www.gameinformer.com/games/borderlands_2/b/ps3/rsscomments.aspx?WeblogPostID=4101957http://www.gameinformer.com/games/borderlands_2/b/ps3/archive/2013/08/29/gearbox-releases-borderlands-2-tiny-tina-39-s-assault-on-dragon-39-s-keep-short-film.aspx#comments<p><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Components-SiteFiles/imagefeed-featured-2kgames-borderlands2-dlc-tinytina-short/dragonskeepshort_5F00_610.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p><a href="http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2013/08/24/gearbox-teases-borderlands-2-animated-short-film.aspx">Teased this weekend</a>, Gearbox has released its Borderlands 2 short film, <i>+ 5 to Punching: A Bunkers &amp; Badasses Prologue.</i> As you may have guessed from the title, the short serves as a prologue to the Tiny Tina&#39;s Assault on Dragon&#39;s Keep DLC that released back in June.</p>
<p>Gearbox recently partnered with the Academy of Art recently to create a Borderlands short film, but this is not a product of that partnership. This one was created in-house at Gearbox.</p>
<p>The next Borderlands 2 DLC, Ultimate Vault Hunter Upgrade Pack 2: Digistruct Peak Challenge, arrives September 3.</p>
<p>(Please visit the site to view this media)</p>
<div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=4101957" width="1" height="1">ShooterPlayStation 3PreviewBorderlands 2gearboxshort filmassault on dragon&#39;s keeptiny tinaWatch Gaige Blow Stuff Up In Borderlands 2http://www.gameinformer.com/games/borderlands_2/b/ps3/archive/2012/10/15/watch-gaige-blow-stuff-up-in-borderlands-2.aspxMon, 15 Oct 2012 18:59:00 GMT79ef0c18-1c65-4225-984f-fdaeab0f0862:2296945Jim Reilly0http://www.gameinformer.com/games/borderlands_2/b/ps3/rsscomments.aspx?WeblogPostID=2296945http://www.gameinformer.com/games/borderlands_2/b/ps3/archive/2012/10/15/watch-gaige-blow-stuff-up-in-borderlands-2.aspx#comments<p><img src="http://media1.gameinformer.com/imagefeed/featured/2kgames/borderlands/borderlands2overflow/mechrodlc/mecho2610.jpg" style="max-width:610px;" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p>Maybe you still need convincing to pick up the newest Borderlands 2
download content? Or maybe you just want to watch a cool game trailer.
Gearbox Software released a stylish trailer for Gaige the Mechromancer,
the fifth playable class, highlighting all her special moves and
abilities. </p>
<p>
Gaige released last week on October 9. It&#39;s available for free to
those who pre-ordered and received Premiere Club access. Otherwise,
It&#39;ll cost you $9.99 on PC and PS3 or 800 Microsoft points on Xbox 360.</p>
<p>(Please visit the site to view this media)</p>
<div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=2296945" width="1" height="1">ShooterPlayStation 3PreviewBorderlands 2Gearbox SoftwareTake-Two2KtrailerWatch The Most Annoying Borderlands 2 Weapon In Actionhttp://www.gameinformer.com/games/borderlands_2/b/ps3/archive/2012/09/20/watch-the-most-annoying-borderlands-2-weapon-in-action.aspxFri, 21 Sep 2012 00:30:00 GMT79ef0c18-1c65-4225-984f-fdaeab0f0862:2227183Matt Helgeson0http://www.gameinformer.com/games/borderlands_2/b/ps3/rsscomments.aspx?WeblogPostID=2227183http://www.gameinformer.com/games/borderlands_2/b/ps3/archive/2012/09/20/watch-the-most-annoying-borderlands-2-weapon-in-action.aspx#comments<p><img src="http://media1.gameinformer.com/imagefeed/featured/2kgames/borderlands/borderlands2overflow/annoyinggun/annoyinggun610.jpg" border="0" style="max-width:610px;" alt="" /></p>
<p>It looks nice, but I&#39;m not sure anyone could stand playing with this one for more than a few minutes.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.reddit.com/r/Borderlands2/comments/106jnu/what_the_fuck_is_this_gun_borderlands/">Someone on Reddit spotted</a> this weapon -- the Energizing Bane -- in the town of Lynchwood late in the game. It&#39;s not a bad weapon -- until you fire it and hear the irritating sound it makes. For some reason, it has the added side effect of dramatically slowing your sprint speed, making it as annoying to play with as it is to listen to. Watch for yourself below.</p>
<p>(Please visit the site to view this media)</p>
<p>Via <a target="_blank" href="http://www.pcgamer.com/2012/09/20/most-annoying-borderlands-2-gun/">PC Gamer</a></p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=2227183" width="1" height="1">ShooterPlayStation 3PreviewBorderlands 22k gamesborderlandsGearbox Softwarefpsvideobl2mediaweaponsannoyingshootersgunsA Genre-Blending Triumphhttp://www.gameinformer.com/games/borderlands_2/b/ps3/archive/2012/09/17/review.aspxTue, 18 Sep 2012 04:00:00 GMT79ef0c18-1c65-4225-984f-fdaeab0f0862:2218954Dan Ryckert0<p><img style="max-width:610px;" border="0" src="http://media1.gameinformer.com/imagefeed/featured/2kgames/borderlands/borderlands2overflow/bl610.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Three years ago, gamers were treated to an ambitious title that appealed to fans of first-person shooters, lootfests, and RPGs alike. Its sequel would have been a step up (and a multi-million seller, assuredly) even if Gearbox only expanded upon the narrative. Instead of taking the easy route, the studio has taken everything that impressed in the original and greatly enhanced it. From major bullet points like the story to smaller details like the UI and inventory system, Borderlands 2 surpassed my expectations and stands as a prime example of how to knock a sequel out of the park.</p>
<p>Unlike the first game, players have a very specific enemy in mind as they shoot their way across Pandora. Handsome Jack has taken credit for the original vault hunters&rsquo; actions, and has tapped into a vast supply of the valuable element Eridium in his rise to power as leader of the Hyperion corporation and dictator of Pandora. When a new set of vault hunters catches wind of his ultimate plans for the planet, they set out to reunite with familiar faces and put an end to Jack&rsquo;s reign. With an entertaining antagonist, some surprising twists, and cutscenes you actually want to watch, the story is one of the many significant steps up from its predecessor.</p>
<p>The new classes are vaguely similar to classes from the original game, but their abilities and skill trees make them uniformly superior. My playthrough was a blast as Zer0, the robotic ninja with the ability to cloak himself and deal massive damage with sniper rifles and his sword. His deception ability is more flexible than I anticipated, and it saved me in numerous scenarios. In most circumstances, I&rsquo;d use it to sneak around enemies as they were distracted by my holographic decoy, and surprise them with a super-powerful melee attack. In other instances, I&rsquo;d use the ability to aid my escape from deadly situations, distract enemies as I revived my partners, or use it as an opportunity to retreat to an ideal sniping position.</p>
<p>Utilizing the same user-friendly co-op framework as the first game, experimenting with the classes&rsquo; unique abilities in tandem is rewarding. While an enemy is suspended in the air by Maya&rsquo;s Phaselock, Axton can lay down a turret and unleash a torrent of firepower. After Salvador draws the attention of enemies by flipping them the bird, Zer0 has a great opportunity to sprint behind the pack for silent assassinations. Gunfights are rarely generic affairs, as the interplay between characters assures unique scenarios.</p>
<p>(Please visit the site to view this media)<br /><i>Above: Watch us play Borderlands 2 on our recent Test Chamber episode.</i></p>
<p>Having four distinct classes allows for a variety of gameplay experiences, but the replayability doesn&rsquo;t stop there. Each class has three distinct skill trees to explore, and your playstyle can vary wildly depending on how you choose to distribute skill points. My Zer0 was a melee machine. I opted to take down Pandora&rsquo;s baddies with my sword just as often as with my bullets. If I had chosen to follow the sniping skill tree, Zer0 would instead be a long-range threat with quick reload times and high critical hit percentages. It&rsquo;s almost like Borderlands 2 has twelve different classes instead of four.</p>
<p>We didn&rsquo;t get much of a chance to learn about the vault hunters during the first game, but by taking Roland, Brick, Lilith, and Mordecai out of the players&rsquo; hands, Gearbox has freed itself to do more with the characters. They return to help the new crew, and they&rsquo;re just a few of the many colorful characters that assign quests. Fetch quest missions and generic objectives are rare in Borderlands 2, as even seemingly inconsequential sidequests have plenty of entertainment value. Outside of the main story, you find yourself participating in activities as diverse as solving a murder, inspiring Scooter as he writes a romantic poem, robbing a train, getting a skag to defecate on a bomb, having a pistol duel in an Old West-style town, and helping Claptrap organize his birthday party. Throughout the game, the dialogue and clever missions display a sense of humor on par with the best in the industry.</p>
<p>While the new classes and focused narrative are the marquee bullet points when it comes to this sequel&rsquo;s improvements, that&rsquo;s barely scratching the surface of the multitude of smaller upgrades. Inventory management and the user interface are much better, allowing for simple buying, selling, and comparing of items. Character customization allows players to alter their classes with different heads and skins. A new token system rewards players for completing challenges by granting stat bonuses that carry over to any character on the same profile. Enemy characters are more varied, including both appearance and behavior. It&rsquo;s now possible to crawl to safety while waiting for a partner to revive you. These may not all be blockbuster features on their own, but they all add up to a noticeably superior experience.</p>
<p>All of the improvements would make for a standout title even if it were constricted to single-player. Considering Gearbox has continued to put this franchise in a league of its own when it comes to co-op, it elevates the game to something more. With its unmatched co-op gameplay, intense shootouts, addictive loot collecting, expansive skill customization, hilarious dialogue, and insane level of replayability, Borderlands 2 is one of the most rewarding gaming experiences of this console generation.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=2218954" width="1" height="1">ShooterPlayStation 3Borderlands 22k gamesgearboxborderlandsreviewNew Borderlands 2 Video Walkthrough Isn't Messing Aroundhttp://www.gameinformer.com/games/borderlands_2/b/ps3/archive/2012/08/31/new-borderlands-2-video-walkthrough-isn-39-t-messing-around.aspxFri, 31 Aug 2012 13:57:24 GMT79ef0c18-1c65-4225-984f-fdaeab0f0862:2171134Jeff Cork0http://www.gameinformer.com/games/borderlands_2/b/ps3/rsscomments.aspx?WeblogPostID=2171134http://www.gameinformer.com/games/borderlands_2/b/ps3/archive/2012/08/31/new-borderlands-2-video-walkthrough-isn-39-t-messing-around.aspx#comments<p><img src="http://media1.gameinformer.com/imagefeed/featured/2kgames/borderlands/borderlands2overflow/borderlands20831-610.jpg" border="0" style="max-width:610px;" alt="" /></p>
<p>Gearbox and 2K Games have done a great job of bombarding us all with Borderlands 2 info, which leads us to ask a simple question: What else is there to talk about at this point? As a new video shows, the answer is equally simple: plenty.</p>
<p>The video, which clocks in at just under seven minutes long, provides a deep dive into Pandora&#39;s characters and locations. What&#39;s that? You&#39;re interested in learning a little bit about the game&#39;s weapons? OK, that&#39;s in here, too. If you&#39;ve ever wanted to see what a homing sticky grenade that transforms into an acid-spewing cluster bomb looks like in action, well, hit the play button. It&#39;s all narrated by character Sir Hammerlock. Don&#39;t worry; you&#39;re in good hands.</p>
<p>(Please visit the site to view this media)</p>
<p><a href="http://www.gameinformer.com/p/borderlands.aspx"><img style="max-width:610px;" border="0" src="http://media1.gameinformer.com/imagefeed/featured/2kgames/borderlands/borderlands2/borderlands2_610_ad.jpg" alt="" /></a></p>
<p>Borderlands 2 is due out September 18.</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=2171134" width="1" height="1">ShooterPlayStation 3PreviewBorderlands 22k gamesgearboxpcxbox 360Which Gun Will You Choose?http://www.gameinformer.com/games/borderlands_2/b/ps3/archive/2012/08/17/which-gun-will-you-choose.aspxFri, 17 Aug 2012 18:10:00 GMT79ef0c18-1c65-4225-984f-fdaeab0f0862:2140109Jack Gardner0http://www.gameinformer.com/games/borderlands_2/b/ps3/rsscomments.aspx?WeblogPostID=2140109http://www.gameinformer.com/games/borderlands_2/b/ps3/archive/2012/08/17/which-gun-will-you-choose.aspx#comments<p><img style="max-width:610px;" src="http://media1.gameinformer.com/imagefeed/featured/2kgames/borderlands/borderlands2overflow/e3borderlands2610.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p class="p1">The weapons that appear in Borderlands 2 are made by a variety of manufacturers and each manufacturer has a different vision of how their guns should be used. Feast your eyes on these &ldquo;educational&rdquo; vignettes. </p>
<p class="p1">Chances are that you will come across a Maliwan, Vladof, or Tediore-made weapon when you are playing through Borderlands 2. To give you an idea of what each type of weapon excels at, the folks over at 2K made a few videos for your enjoyment. Check them out below.</p>
<p class="p1">(Please visit the site to view this media)</p>
<p class="p1">(Please visit the site to view this media)</p>
<p class="p1">(Please visit the site to view this media)</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=2140109" width="1" height="1">ShooterPlayStation 3PreviewBorderlands 22k gamesvladofmaliwantedioreguns guns gunsA New Look At The Mechromancer Classhttp://www.gameinformer.com/games/borderlands_2/b/ps3/archive/2012/08/16/a-new-look-at-the-mechromancer-class.aspxThu, 16 Aug 2012 10:24:00 GMT79ef0c18-1c65-4225-984f-fdaeab0f0862:2136130Bryan Vore0http://www.gameinformer.com/games/borderlands_2/b/ps3/rsscomments.aspx?WeblogPostID=2136130http://www.gameinformer.com/games/borderlands_2/b/ps3/archive/2012/08/16/a-new-look-at-the-mechromancer-class.aspx#comments<p><img src="http://media1.gameinformer.com/imagefeed/featured/2kgames/borderlands/borderlands2overflow/dtrapx610.jpg" style="max-width:610px;" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p>Borderlands 2 is only a month away and we&#39;re already excited about the first DLC: a fifth character class. Check out our early impressions of the Mechromancer in action.</p>
<p>As<a href="http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2012/04/08/new-borderlands-2-info-at-pax-east.aspx"> announced before</a>, the new character will be free to those who pre-order and will be paid DLC for everyone else. Surprisingly, developer Gearbox now says that the team will release the DLC sooner than their previous estimate of 60 to 90-days after the street date of the main game. </p>
<p>We only got to see a very brief look at the character in action and her textures are not complete yet, but she looks like a powerful and unique addition to the battlefield so far. One of her early abilities is called Close Enough. This enables bullets to ricochet off of walls and ground to hit enemies. Pair this up with previously useless low accuracy guns and you&#39;ll be in business. This also allows you to shoot enemies around cover.</p>
<p>Her primary weapon is a floating mech named Deathtrap (seen above). He moves in close to foes and slashes at them with glowing blue claws. One of his upgradeable specials is an explosive clap that does a lot of damage to the primary target and also hurts anyone in the explosion radius.</p>
<p>That&#39;s about all Gearbox is ready to show at this point, but if you want to see more of the main game check out the <a href="http://www.gameinformer.com/games/borderlands_2/b/xbox360/archive/2012/08/13/borderlands-2-39-s-handsome-jack-threatens-all-vault-hunters.aspx">latest trailer</a>.</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=2136130" width="1" height="1">ShooterPlayStation 3PreviewBorderlands 2mecromancergamescom2012Borderlands 2's Handsome Jack Threatens All Vault Huntershttp://www.gameinformer.com/games/borderlands_2/b/ps3/archive/2012/08/13/borderlands-2-39-s-handsome-jack-threatens-all-vault-hunters.aspxMon, 13 Aug 2012 14:38:36 GMT79ef0c18-1c65-4225-984f-fdaeab0f0862:2126045Matthew Kato0http://www.gameinformer.com/games/borderlands_2/b/ps3/rsscomments.aspx?WeblogPostID=2126045http://www.gameinformer.com/games/borderlands_2/b/ps3/archive/2012/08/13/borderlands-2-39-s-handsome-jack-threatens-all-vault-hunters.aspx#comments<p><img src="http://media1.gameinformer.com/imagefeed/featured/2kgames/borderlands/borderlands2overflow/b28.13610.jpg" border="0" style="max-width:610px;" alt="" /></p>
<p>Borderlands 2 villain Handsome Jack, while charming, has laid down the gauntlet to all vault hunters, daring them to take him and his arsenal on in this latest trailer for the game.</p>
<p>Apart from the taunting, Handsome Jack takes some time to run through some of the game&#39;s character, with plenty of visual eye-candy to boot.</p>
<p>Borderlands 2 comes out for September 18 for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC (<i>note: trailer shows the European release date</i>).</p>
<p>(Please visit the site to view this media)</p>
<p>For more on the game, check out this <a href="http://www.gameinformer.com/games/borderlands_2/b/xbox360/archive/2012/07/12/size-up-the-sights-and-sounds-of-borderlands-2-in-new-trailer.aspx">previous trailer</a>.</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=2126045" width="1" height="1">ShooterPlayStation 3PreviewBorderlands 22k gamesGearbox GamesSize Up The Sights And Sounds Of Borderlands 2 In New Trailerhttp://www.gameinformer.com/games/borderlands_2/b/ps3/archive/2012/07/12/size-up-the-sights-and-sounds-of-borderlands-2-in-new-trailer.aspxThu, 12 Jul 2012 14:13:57 GMT79ef0c18-1c65-4225-984f-fdaeab0f0862:2053863Jeff Cork0http://www.gameinformer.com/games/borderlands_2/b/ps3/rsscomments.aspx?WeblogPostID=2053863http://www.gameinformer.com/games/borderlands_2/b/ps3/archive/2012/07/12/size-up-the-sights-and-sounds-of-borderlands-2-in-new-trailer.aspx#comments<p><img src="http://media1.gameinformer.com/imagefeed/featured/2kgames/borderlands/borderlands2/overflow/borderlands20712-610.jpg" border="0" style="max-width:610px;" alt="" /></p>
<p>Gearbox and 2K Games have released a new trailer for Borderlands 2, and it delivers the explosive, over-the-top action you&#39;ve grown to expect from the series. The musical accompaniment may throw you off for a second, though, if you&#39;ve grown accustomed to dubstep or squealing guitars.</p>
<p>It&#39;s clearly not a great time to be a bad guy on Pandora. The video shows enemies getting shot, stabbed, and detonated in scenes of carnage that would make Wile E. Coyote proud. It&#39;s all set to the peppy tune &quot;The Lion Sleeps Tonight.&quot; Of course it is.</p>
<p>(Please visit the site to view this media)</p>
<p><a title="Borderlands 2" href="http://www.gameinformer.com/p/borderlands.aspx">Borderlands 2</a> is coming September 18 on the PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.&nbsp;</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=2053863" width="1" height="1">ShooterPlayStation 3PreviewBorderlands 22k gamesgearboxpcxbox 360Borderlands 2's Robotic Assassin Is Unsurprisingly Awesomehttp://www.gameinformer.com/games/borderlands_2/b/ps3/archive/2012/06/07/bl2-zero-impressions.aspxThu, 07 Jun 2012 22:14:00 GMT79ef0c18-1c65-4225-984f-fdaeab0f0862:1982172Dan Ryckert0http://www.gameinformer.com/games/borderlands_2/b/ps3/rsscomments.aspx?WeblogPostID=1982172http://www.gameinformer.com/games/borderlands_2/b/ps3/archive/2012/06/07/bl2-zero-impressions.aspx#comments<p><img style="max-width:610px;" border="0" src="http://media1.gameinformer.com/imagefeed/featured/2kgames/borderlands/borderlands2/overflow/B2_TheHeroes.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Between visiting Gearbox for our September cover story and playing co-op with creative director Paul Hellquist at PAX East, I&rsquo;ve seen plenty of Borderlands 2 in the last year. After playing another co-op session today, the game has maintained its perfect record of making me more excited about it with every showing. Gearbox&rsquo;s PAX East demo showcased Salvadore and Maya, and the developer focused on Axton and Zero for this new E3 appearance.</p>
<p>Art director Jeramy Cooke selected the soldier Axton, and I opted for the robotic assassin Zero. For purposes of the demo, each character was granted twenty skill points that they could assign to their desired perks on the skill tree. I focused on making Zero a deadly melee fighter that remains deadly at long range. In conjunction with Zero&rsquo;s hologram ability, it made for some exciting combat scenarios.</p>
<p>With a press of the left bumper, I was able to become invisible as the hologram of Zero distracted enemies. Various robots and human enemies focused their fire on my doppelganger, allowing me to sprint behind and slash them to death with my sword. I activated a perk that made me do more damage when attacking from behind, which made Zero&rsquo;s slices all the more deadly. Cooke told me that if you wanted to focus your skill points on this perk along with shotgun strength, you could effectively become a shotgun ninja. The variety of ways you can build your character is staggering, and will certainly result in unbelievable replay value.</p>
<p>Borderlands 2 has much more in the way of narrative than the original game, so these firefights I engaged in had a purpose. After antagonist Handsome Jack exterminates all of Claptrap&rsquo;s fellow droids, our robotic friend has an axe to grind. He decides that one way to strike a blow to Jack&rsquo;s public image is to vandalize the numerous statues of him in Pandora. We approached the first statue and attempted to take it down, but our bullets and rockets didn&rsquo;t quite do the trick.</p>
<p>In order to obtain some more firepower, Claptrap directed us to a disabled enemy constructor and suggested that we hack it. With the press of the X button, the large robot came to life and began floating. We were tasked with protecting it as it cut down the bronze statues with its laser. After fighting off waves of robotic enemies and sawing down several statues, Claptrap informed us that the area was free of Jack&rsquo;s image. He told us to activate our constructor&rsquo;s &ldquo;dance mode,&rdquo; so we pressed the indicated button on the robot. It slightly bounced around for a few seconds before exploding. Claptrap responded with &ldquo;Oh, it exploded...I guess that&rsquo;s kind of like dancing.&rdquo;</p>
<p>A huge part of the Borderlands experience is the constant progression, collecting of loot, and customization, but it was still a blast in a stand-alone experience like this demo. Gunplay is fast and responsive, and the enemy variety is significantly improved over the original. Considering it&rsquo;s already this fun in demo form, I can&rsquo;t imagine how great the experience will be when I can actually sit down and begin developing my character. There are tons of triple-A games out on the E3 show floor this year, but I&rsquo;m anticipating Borderlands 2 more than any other title I&rsquo;ve seen here. September can&rsquo;t come soon enough.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=1982172" width="1" height="1">ShooterPlayStation 3PreviewBorderlands 22k gamesgearboxGearbox SoftwareHands-On With Borderlands 2 At PAX Easthttp://www.gameinformer.com/games/borderlands_2/b/ps3/archive/2012/04/06/hands-on-with-borderlands-2-at-pax-east.aspxFri, 06 Apr 2012 20:30:00 GMT79ef0c18-1c65-4225-984f-fdaeab0f0862:1832697Dan Ryckert0http://www.gameinformer.com/games/borderlands_2/b/ps3/rsscomments.aspx?WeblogPostID=1832697http://www.gameinformer.com/games/borderlands_2/b/ps3/archive/2012/04/06/hands-on-with-borderlands-2-at-pax-east.aspx#comments<p><img style="max-width:610px;" src="http://media1.gameinformer.com/imagefeed/featured/2kgames/borderlands/borderlands2/gamescom/borderlands2gamescomhero.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p class="p1">When we were down in Texas checking out Borderlands 2 for our September cover story, it was clear that Gearbox had ambitious plans for the sequel. The surprise success of the original game spawned millions of fans, and it was no shocker when the developer announced that a sequel was in the works. Our time at the studio was hands-off, but the game was in playable form on the PAX East show floor, and I had a chance to sit down with creative director Paul Hellquist for an extended demo.</p>
<p class="p1">Two classes were available: the siren Maya and the dual-wielding Gunzerker that graced our cover. Since most of my time in the original game was spent with guns blazing, I opted for the latter. It didn&rsquo;t take long for me to realize how well these two worked in tandem with each other. Hellquist was able to trap enemies using Maya&rsquo;s Phaselock ability, which suspends them helplessly above the ground. While they floated, I positioned Salvadore underneath them and let loose with a barrage of shotgun blasts. Used in combination with his dual-wielding Gunzerker ability, we were able to take down daunting foes with ease.</p>
<p class="p1">In the same lootfest fashion as the first game, these moments typically ended with a shower of ammo, health, cash, and new weapons. After picking up a promising new shotgun, I entered the significantly improved menu system. The images float in front of your character, giving the illusion that he or she is looking at it in the actual game world. A common complaint in the first game was the unwieldy map system, which has been completely rectified here thanks to the ability to easily pan and zoom.</p>
<p class="p1">For the demo, Gearbox started players with 15 skill points to spend however they&rsquo;d like. Each character has three distinct paths they can take through their skill tree, and deciding which route to take isn&rsquo;t easy. Maya&rsquo;s three paths are influenced by your play style. Players that are offensive-minded will want to take the Cataclysm route, those that prefer to heal and support their team should go with Harmony, and those that hope to increase their movement and reload speed should opt for the Motion path.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1"><img src="http://media1.gameinformer.com/imagefeed/featured/2kgames/borderlands/borderlands2/borderlands20826-610.jpg" border="0" style="max-width:610px;" alt="" /></p>
<p class="p1">It&rsquo;s impossible to reach the end of each path on one playthrough, so you&rsquo;ll have to commit to one if you&rsquo;re hoping to buy its most significant upgrades (although it&rsquo;s possible to respec). These final upgrades are meant to be game changers, which rang true for both classes in the demo. One of Salvadore&rsquo;s (known as &ldquo;Come At Me Bro&rdquo;) lets him taunt enemies with double middle fingers while in the middle of dual-wielding. This enrages his enemies, but it shouldn&rsquo;t matter much considering it gives you a full health recharge and near-invulnerability for the duration of your ability. Maya features one late-game upgrade that changes her ability entirely. Her Phaselock turns into the Thoughtlock, which hypnotizes enemies into fighting for you rather than simply trapping them.</p>
<p class="p1">We weren&rsquo;t able to see the assassin Zer0 or the soldier Axton in action, but Hellquist explained a bit about their abilities. Zer0 can utilize his Deception ability to create a holographic version of himself, which draws fire from enemies. While the fake assassin commands the enemies&rsquo; attention, the real deal activates optic camouflage, allowing him to line up a perfect sniper shot or come in close for a katana kill. The soldier Axton features a similar turret ability as Roland in the first game, but with far more customization options. Upgrades are available that allow the soldier to toss his turret across long distances, add more guns to the weapon, or even grant the ability to throw two turrets at once.</p>
<p class="p1">After selecting our initial upgrades, Hellquist and I headed out to the Wildlife Exploitation Reserve area in search of the first game&rsquo;s hunter, Mordecai. Salvadore and Maya are looking for an upgrade for Claptrap, and it can only be researched once we obtain a chip that&rsquo;s attached to Bloodwing&rsquo;s (Mordecai&rsquo;s hawk) collar. As we battle towards our objective, Gearbox&rsquo;s focus on enemy variety is made clear via a large assortment of enemy types and functions. Robotic loader enemies went into what Hellquist calls &ldquo;Terminator mode&rdquo; once their legs are shot off, causing them to crawl menacingly at the player. When they become injured, flying Surveyors swoop in to repair them, healing damage and re-attaching severed limbs. Constructors serve as a spawn point of sorts, quickly creating new robotic enemies until they&rsquo;re destroyed. Burrowing creatures called Threshers should remind players of the movie Tremors, and they send your character flying if they emerge under your feet. One area, Caustic Caverns, features numerous organic pods on the ground. They&rsquo;re harmless on their own, but larva-like creatures can crawl inside the pods and emerge as Adult or *** versions of themselves. Each of these enemies required different strategies to defeat, from strafing around robots to backpedalling to avoid charging skags. Prioritizing enemies is an important tactic as well, considering you can cripple or limit enemy forces by taking out Surveyors and Constructors first.</p>
<p class="p1">Constant firefights kept us engaged as we battled from point to point in search of Bloodwing. Once we finally reached the bird&rsquo;s supposed resting area, we discovered that antagonist Handsome Jack had taken the bird elsewhere. We headed off towards a new objective, only to be stopped by a level 21 *** Constructor. I was able to fire off a few rounds at the giant robot before the Borderlands 2 logo appeared to signal the end of the demo.</p>
<p class="p1">My time with the game left me wanting it more than ever, which is impressive considering it was already one of my most anticipated games of 2012 before ever playing it. I spent close to 150 hours with the original, and I&rsquo;m certain the sequel will grab me even more. The new characters feature some fantastic abilities, enemy variety is significantly improved, user interface issues have been remedied, and the game somehow includes even more weapons than the massive arsenal of the original game. Shooter fans should plan on clearing their schedules (and inviting some friends) for the game&rsquo;s September 18 release.</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=1832697" width="1" height="1">ShooterPlayStation 3PreviewBorderlands 22k gamesGearbox SoftwareGearbox Talks Borderlands 2's New Characters, Multiplayer Tweaks, And Dubstephttp://www.gameinformer.com/games/borderlands_2/b/ps3/archive/2012/03/08/gearbox-talks-borderlands-2-39-s-new-characters-multiplayer-tweaks-and-dubstep.aspxThu, 08 Mar 2012 23:00:00 GMT79ef0c18-1c65-4225-984f-fdaeab0f0862:1757528Phil Kollar0http://www.gameinformer.com/games/borderlands_2/b/ps3/rsscomments.aspx?WeblogPostID=1757528http://www.gameinformer.com/games/borderlands_2/b/ps3/archive/2012/03/08/gearbox-talks-borderlands-2-39-s-new-characters-multiplayer-tweaks-and-dubstep.aspx#comments<div class="paginated-post" rel="3"><div class="paginated-post-page" rel="1"><p><img src="http://media1.gameinformer.com/imagefeed/featured/2kgames/borderlands/borderlands2/overflow/B2_TheHeroes.jpg" style="max-width:610px;" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p>A couple weeks ago we saw a <a href="http://www.gameinformer.com/games/borderlands_2/b/xbox360/archive/2012/02/22/borderlands-2-trailer-filled-with-wub-wub-870-gajillion-guns-release-date.aspx">wub-wub-filled new trailer</a> for Borderlands 2 revealing the release date, all of the new playable characters, and some other exciting details about the upcoming sequel to Gearbox&rsquo;s loot-fest shooter. To catch up with all the new info on the game, I spoke with writer Anthony Burch and concept designer Scott Kester. They explained the approach behind each of the new characters, the size of the game world, and whether or not the first game&rsquo;s characters will be playable.</p>
<p><b>Maya seems to be largely focused around the phaselock ability. How does that compare to the phasewalk ability from Lilith in the first game?</b></p>
<p>Anthony Burch: They&rsquo;re completely separate. Maya can shoot any enemy with phaselock and remove them from combat. It&rsquo;s crowd control essentially. She&rsquo;ll suspend them in an orb of siren-y, phase-y, magic-y cool stuff. It allows everybody to shoot that person, because they can no longer fight back. Or you can just take them out of the fight while you focus on somebody more important. </p>
<p>It&rsquo;s actually a really versatile skill, because you can use it to do damage too. If you choose the helios skill, when you phaselock, it will cause a fiery explosion outward that kills anybody nearby. Or you can get the res skill, and instead of having to walk over and manually revive somebody, you can just phaselock them. They immediately get back up and are back in the fight. </p>
<p><b>Axton seems to be the stand-in for the soldier class in Borderlands 2. How does he differ from Roland? Were there specific things you identified about Roland that you felt needed to be addressed or changed?</b></p>
<p>AB: Axton is actually a new class called commando. He&rsquo;s an evolution of Roland, but he has a completely different skill set. He&rsquo;s got a turret, but his turret does brand new, crazy-ass things. You can spec into the longbow skill, which lets your turret basically teleport to a place and appear there rather than having to throw it down manually. You can throw it across maps, and it will just appear. He has a skill that allows his turrets to latch onto walls or ceilings, so if someone is f---ing with you from behind cover, you just throw your turret on the wall behind them and suddenly their cover doesn&rsquo;t mean anything because they&rsquo;re not covered from that angle. The whole philosophy with Axton was that if somebody isn&rsquo;t used to RPGs, or they want to see something that&rsquo;s more immediately familiar, Axton is kind of the more inviting, Modern Warfare marine type.</p>
<p>Scott Kester: Yeah, I did the characters on the last game, and I did these guys, too. But this time we really&nbsp; tried to give each character a different flavor that&rsquo;s a little more distinct. To me, the first game&rsquo;s characters blended together a little bit. Designing Axton was definitely a decision to take a little lighter modern military approach. That was a very conscious decision on our part to try to bring that into the game. We&rsquo;ve seen a lot of comments saying, &ldquo;I saw Axton, and that&rsquo;s who I want to play, because I just love soldiers.&rdquo; We still think he has a lot of uniqueness to him, of course. He&rsquo;s not just some soldier guy, but at the end of the day, he&rsquo;s kind of the everyman shooter character. I think some people see him and can instantly relate with him. When we&rsquo;re designing the characters, we try to make it so that when you see their appearance, you get a decent understanding of who they are and what they&rsquo;re going to do and how they&rsquo;ll fight. </p>
<p><b>Based off the visual design, Zer0 seems to be this game&rsquo;s equivalent of Mordecai from the original Borderlands, except he uses a sword. Did you have to add a whole new subset of melee-based loot to the game for this character?</b></p>
<p>SK: Zer0 is actually a long-range and a close-range character. His skill is deception, where he throws down a clone of himself and goes invisible to get stealth attacks and stealth kills. We gave the option that the way his skill trees are built, you can go down a more focused close-range side of him and get in and get those kills that way. But we didn&rsquo;t want to pigeon-hole him as a character that only works up close. He kind of fulfills the Mordecai promise, but his skill tree is drastically different. Mordecai is basically, &quot;Go get him, bird,&quot; and you sit back and watch the bird cause mayhem. With Zer0, you have to really get in and control the character. It&rsquo;s kind of night and day.</p>
<p>AB: To answer your earlier question as to whether or not his melee focus means melee loot, enemies won&rsquo;t be dropping melee weapons, but our new loot in general &ndash; the guns, the shield, the relics &ndash; will allow you to spec for melee in an interesting way. We have these new shields called roid shields. If you have a roid shield equipped, when your shields go down, you actually get a bonus to your melee damage. If you&rsquo;re playing as Zer0 and you want to go all-in into the melee tree, you can get a skill where if you hit someone with melee it increases your gun damage, and if you shoot someone with a gun it increases your melee damage. Then you can juggle between melee and guns until your shields go down, and all of a sudden you&rsquo;re doing a s---load of damage. </p>
<p><b>So to clarify, Zer0&rsquo;s sword won&rsquo;t be changing in appearance or stats as you go? It&rsquo;s more based off the skills that you build up?</b></p>
<p>AB: Correct.</p>
<p><b>Out of all of the characters in Borderlands 2, Zer0 seems like the biggest departure from anything in the first game. Is there a specific type of player you were trying to target with that character?</b></p>
<p>SK: As we created him, there was even some controversy inside the studio. I&rsquo;ve always had an obsession with the loner character, the Snake Eyes or Grey Fox-style character. If you see the characters all together, you can tell that this guy is not going to fit in 100 percent. People that prefer stealth characters, like assassins or rogues &ndash; he&rsquo;s definitely a character that&rsquo;s more about finesse than Salvador, the gunzerker, who just goes in and blows the crap out of everything. You have to plot and plan a bit more. He&rsquo;s more of a surgical character.</p></div></div><script type="text/javascript">PaginateGrid();</script><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=1757528" width="1" height="1">ShooterPlayStation 3PreviewBorderlands 2gearboxborderlandsBorderlands 2 Trailer Filled With Wub Wub, 870 Gajillion Guns, Release Datehttp://www.gameinformer.com/games/borderlands_2/b/ps3/archive/2012/02/22/borderlands-2-trailer-filled-with-wub-wub-870-gajillion-guns-release-date.aspxWed, 22 Feb 2012 14:49:52 GMT79ef0c18-1c65-4225-984f-fdaeab0f0862:1717706Jeff Cork4http://www.gameinformer.com/games/borderlands_2/b/ps3/rsscomments.aspx?WeblogPostID=1717706http://www.gameinformer.com/games/borderlands_2/b/ps3/archive/2012/02/22/borderlands-2-trailer-filled-with-wub-wub-870-gajillion-guns-release-date.aspx#comments<p><img src="http://media1.gameinformer.com/imagefeed/featured/2kgames/borderlands/borderlands2/borderlands20222-610.jpg" border="0" style="max-width:610px;" alt="" /></p>
<p>Gearbox&#39;s follow-up to its 2009 hit Borderlands looks to build on everything that made the original game great. At its core, it retains its four-person co-op shooter roots, while shifting the action to a new location and introducing additional characters. A new trailer shows off just some of the sequel&#39;s new facets, while revealing a September release date.</p>
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<p>&ldquo;Borderlands 2 is a passion project, through and through,&rdquo; said Randy Pitchford, President of Gearbox Software. &ldquo;The result is a sequel that has improved every successful aspect of Borderlands while innovating with an all-new experience.&rdquo;</p>
<p>&nbsp;(Please visit the site to view this media)</p>
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<p>Look for the game September 18 on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. Early birds can also score a little extra loot via the Borderlands Premiere Club. This preorder bonus provides players with in-game swag including a golden key, vault hunter&#39;s relic, and the Gearbox gunpack.</p>
<p>For more info on the game, check out our <a title="Borderlands 2 hub" href="http://www.gameinformer.com/p/borderlands.aspx%20">Borderlands 2 hub</a>, which is filled with loads of exclusives.</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=1717706" width="1" height="1">ShooterPlayStation 3PreviewBorderlands 22k gamesgearboxpcxbox 360Wrap Your Mind Around These Two New Screenshttp://www.gameinformer.com/games/borderlands_2/b/ps3/archive/2011/08/26/wrap-your-mind-around-these-two-new-screens.aspxFri, 26 Aug 2011 16:35:36 GMT79ef0c18-1c65-4225-984f-fdaeab0f0862:1180049Jeff Cork74http://www.gameinformer.com/games/borderlands_2/b/ps3/rsscomments.aspx?WeblogPostID=1180049http://www.gameinformer.com/games/borderlands_2/b/ps3/archive/2011/08/26/wrap-your-mind-around-these-two-new-screens.aspx#comments<p><img src="http://media1.gameinformer.com/imagefeed/featured/2kgames/borderlands/borderlands2/borderlands20826-610.jpg" style="max-width:610px;" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p>If you have plans today, cancel them. Gearbox and 2K Games have released two (2) brand-new screens for Borderlands 2.</p>
<p>The screens show off what happens when an explosive weapon makes contact with a bandit, as well as a frenzied battle on a dam.</p>
<p>Check out our Borderlands 2 hub, which will direct you to loads of exclusive interviews, features, and more.</p>
<p><a><img src="http://media1.gameinformer.com/imagefeed/featured/2kgames/borderlands/borderlands2/borderlands2_610_ad.jpg" style="max-width:610px;" border="0" alt="" /></a></p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=1180049" width="1" height="1">ShooterPlayStation 3PreviewBorderlands 22k gamesgearboxpax2011